News and Events

IT security managers have had plenty on their plate this year co-ordinating compliance efforts in advance of the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But while the sweeping new privacy law has dominated the headlines for the past year or more, there’s another important piece of regulation on its way from Brussels, that will apply specifically to “operators of essential services” (OES). It’s known as the EU directive on the security of Networks and Information Systems (NIS). With the same huge fines of up to £17m or 4% of global annual turnover levied for non-compliance, it’s vital that you…

A recent FCW article authored by Derek Handova provides expert opinions from experienced and well respected “identity” professionals: Paul Grassi, Sr. Standards & Technology Adviser at NIST, Jeremy Grant former Sr. Executive Advisor for Identity Management at NIST and now Venable’s managing director for technology business strategy. Mr. Terry Halvorsen, former CIO for the Department of Defense and Army Col. Tom Clancy, Identity and Asset Management lead for the Department of Defense CIO’s office also provide their thoughts and ideas regarding multi-factor authentication. Their comments, along with other industry experts interviewed by Handova, were thoughtful and worth keeping in mind…

As with most aspects of the EU, unhindered cross-border data flows are something most U.K. firms just take for granted these days. Thanks to the cloud, huge volumes of corporate data is stored in third party providers’ data centres, frequently not even in the UK. Aside perhaps from those in highly regulated sectors, corporate users don’t think twice about accessing that data, and sending it to and from partners and customers on the continent. However, the U.K.’s departure from the world’s biggest trading bloc raises new questions about the legality of such transfers. In a new report, the House of…

The long-awaited negotiations governing the UK’s divorce from the EU officially began on 19 June, marking arguably the most important period in the country’s history since the Second World War. What follows remains to be seen, but given Brexit is now a reality, many UK organisations may be wondering/hoping whether this means they’ll be spared the sweeping new data protection regulation directed from Brussels. As the recent Queen’s Speech has again reminded us, there will be no such reprieve for UK organisations. Brexit means Brexit, and that means firms must accelerate their EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance plans…

Inevitably, if you work anywhere in the Federal space, you have had some involvement with the process of getting an IT system accredited for use. The names and processes have changed slightly over the years and the governance depends on what agency you support. While NIST SP 800-37, “Guide for Applying the Risk Management Framework to Federal Information Systems A Security Life Cycle Approach” is now largely adopted across the board, we have used a variety of security controls and processes over the years ––NIST SP 800-53 (multiple revisions), DISA STIGs, DITSCAP/DIACAP/DIARMF, ICD 503 (DCID 6/3), etc. Throughout them all,…

When I mention “compliance” to most people, I often get that cringe — the one that says “ugh, what a pain.” I’m empathetic to folks who are just trying to get the job done, and whose only interaction with compliance is being told somewhere along the line that they have got to jump through more hoops. But having lived information security for several years, and having previously had some experience with risk frameworks and compliance efforts, I’ve developed a different viewpoint. My colleagues in security immediately understand and connect with the statement that with compliance, “there is the letter of the…

The Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Task Order for CREDMGMT provides guidance and tools to federal civilian agencies to fulfill the Manage Credentials and Authentication (CRED) Function. This functional area is designed to prevent the binding of credentials the use of credentials by anyone other than the rightful owner (person or service). The approved tools provide careful management of credentials, preventing attackers from using hijacked credentials to gain unauthorized control of resources, especially administrative rights. The CRED capability ensures that account credentials are assigned to, and used by, authorized people or services. This solution relies on the results of the…

Well, maybe we should start with, “What is innovation management anyways?” At its most basic, it is the purposeful organization and management of ideas within an organization to create meaningful change. Companies use it to gather new product ideas, improve processes and discover new markets and business models. The White House used innovation management processes to cut government spending, Home Depot used this process to identify new product lines, and the DREAMS Challenge used innovation management software to fund new projects that would halt the spread of HIV (just to name a few). But if innovation management often starts by…

The new release of Centrify Server Suite (CSS) 2017 contains an updated version of the Centrify Cryptographic Module, which provides the cryptographic services used within the suite. Just as we did with the previous version, this new crypto module has also received FIPS 140-2 validation, and its certificate #2844 has been posted on the NIST validation list. The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication 140-2 is a standard set by the US Government to approve cryptographic modules, and all software used within federal networks that perform encryption are required to be FIPS 140-2 validated. Centrify has hundreds of federal customers…

At the end of 2016, the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity, a nonpartisan committee charged with developing actionable recommendations for securing and growing the digital economy, presented its report to then President Obama. While Obama has left office, the report still provides a valuable path towards ensuring cybersecurity, mapped out in a series of key action items. The most relevant for readers of this blog are found in Recommendation 1.3, summarized below. Recommendation 1.3: The next Administration should launch a national public–private initiative to achieve major security and privacy improvements by increasing the use of strong authentication to improve identity…

Centrify CEO Tom Kemp, an industry expert in security and infrastructure software, discusses market and technology issues around the disruption occurring in the Identity and Access Management market due to the cloud, mobile and consumerization of IT trends occurring in today's IT environment.